


Angel with Black Wings

by SassyAngel



Series: Miraculous Ladybug Fics [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Birds, Alternate Universe - No Akuma (Miraculous Ladybug), Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anxiety, Bullying, Chloè redemption, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, New School, Non-Canon Relationship, Short One Shot, Social Anxiety, Wingfic, felix is pretty non canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25471366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyAngel/pseuds/SassyAngel
Summary: Felix remembers the first time he saw her like it was just yesterday. Claude had presented her to him with a bright smile on his face and a warm hand on her shoulder. "She's new here, so obviously we're going to kidnap her."OrIn which Marinette transferred schools after getting sick and tired of being bullied.Oh, and there's also wings.
Relationships: Felix/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily
Series: Miraculous Ladybug Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844998
Comments: 37
Kudos: 896
Collections: Good Shit To Read Again AKA GSTRA, the power of love always so strong





	Angel with Black Wings

Felix remembers the first time he saw her like it was just yesterday. Claude had presented her to him with a bright smile on his face and a warm hand on her shoulder. "She's new here, so obviously we're going to kidnap her." With a critical eye he noticed how shy she looked but her smile, regardless of how small and reserved it was, seemed genuine. She watched how he and Claude interacted and immediately surmised that Felix was not one for physical contact; she respected his personal space as a consequence, and his respect for her increased. The most interesting thing about her, though, was her wings… or rather, her lack thereof. 

Curiously, she bound them behind her back; tight enough that it almost seemed like she didn't have any. It was as well bound as Felix's own wings, something only achieved after doing it for a long time. It wasn't a surprise that she had made a similar observation, but Felix hadn't been expecting the sympathetic smile she offered.

Marinette fit in almost seamlessly with his group of what he reluctantly called friends. She was witty, charming, friendly, funny and kind. Even Felix could admit he liked her well enough; never out loud, of course. Their friendships formed effortlessly, but Felix could tell she put in effort anyways. Everyone took to her like glue, and she was rather grateful to them. In short, it seemed as though she genuinely cared for the four of them and that only made her more likeable. 

Allegra would always be by her side with their arms linked together. Sometimes, she'd even have a canary wing wrapped around her. "I've been around you boys way too much, I need more girl time or I will go insane." That was what she would always say as an excuse, though Claude had a theory it was because Marinette was seemingly cute 'like a little bug.' 

Claude, the group’s bluejay, would flirt with her constantly and she would flirt back. Felix almost thought the two were dating, but one day Claude was whining to her about the cute boy from the bakery. Felix felt concerned that Marinette would feel offended by Claude's infidelity, but she only smiled and promised to be a good wingman. Allan later had to explain to a very confused Felix that sometimes people flirt without putting any meaning behind it. 

Allan, a mockingbird, didn't constantly drag Marinette around with him like Allegra did, and he didn't flirt callously like Claude; he would always talk to her though. Their friendship was easy going, and only really sparked when Allan realized Marinette's work was featured in a Jagged Stone album. He hasn't stopped talking to her since. Jagged is his favorite musician after all. She'd promised them all tickets to his next concert, which only made Allan like her even more. Felix could only roll his eyes and repress the smile that threatened to show.

As for her relationship with Felix himself, well, it was rather nice. She was friendly, as previously mentioned, but she didn't invade his personal space like Claude. She was opinionated, but she didn't argue loudly or as enthusiastically as Allegra. She was sarcastic, but always in jest and never quite as provocative as Allan. Even though she was impossibly clumsy, she was still somehow graceful in her own way. Marinette somehow ended up in most of Felix's classes, and so he offered her the seat next to him. She smiled gratefully towards him, and quietly joined him. She sometimes started conversations, but never when he was focused. She never interrupted him when he spoke, choosing instead to give him her undivided attention. Most importantly, she never asked about his wings.

He would easily admit to being curious about Marinette's own set of hidden wings. It was common for some people to hide their wings for one reason or another, but oftentimes they would only hide it while they weren't in use. Marinette always kept hers hidden, regardless of the situation. Claude had asked her if she would like to fly with them, but she declined. Because of this, she ended up accompanying Felix on his walk; he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. It would seem that, just like Felix, she was adamant about others not seeing her wings. He wanted to ask her why, and could only assume she wanted to ask the same of him; but she never once brought it up, so neither would he.

Their relationship was one of respect, and eventually of admiration. He respected her noble character, and admired her capabilities; and he knew she did the same for him. When she heard him playing the piano, she smiled brightly and asked if she could listen to him for a while. He had expected her to try and talk to him, but begrudgingly agreed. She was silent the whole time, and the smile never once left her face. He once saw her hand stitching a piece of fabric, only to realize it was a gorgeous jacket she had been designing for one of her fashion classes. He asked to see her designs, and spent most of the afternoon admiring them. 

What was most surprising about their relationship was how his own relationships with his friends had improved. He quickly came to realize he enjoyed Marinette’s company, so he had started to accept invitations to 'hang out' more frequently. As such, he grew even closer to his current friends as well as with Marinette. Claude, ever the insufferable prick, could only tease Felix. "You're melting his icy shell! You must be an angel!" No one noticed Marinette tense up at the jest; well, no one but Felix that is. Felix couldn't help but glare at Claude as Marinette offered an awkward chuckle.

"Trust me, Claude, I'm no angel." There was a hint of self-deprecation in her tone. Felix frowned. That wouldn't do. He didn't bring it up while they were surrounded by their friends, but he'd keep it in mind for a later date. In the meanwhile, he settled with simply enjoying their outing together. 

They had gone to an arcade this time, and they were all surprised when Marinette proceeded to absolutely demolish them in  _ Ultimate Mecha Strike III _ . There was a vicious and confident grin gracing her features, and Felix found it hard to look away. She went toe to toe with Allegra in  _ Dance Dance Revolution _ , but ultimately lost. Felix had been impressed nonetheless with her lithe movements; he felt almost starstruck by her. He could tell both Claude and Allen were equally impressed, no one had come nearly as close as she did to beating Allegra in that game. Soon Claude started challenging her to any of the games he thought he could beat her in and she accepted each challenge with grace, winning some and losing some. There was always a smile on her face regardless of the outcome of each match, it was charming. She was obviously competitive, but it was clear she never let that get to her. 

Then they tried forcing him to play a couple of games. He had no interest in wasting his time with such pointless endeavors, but he resigned himself to his fate. That was when Marinette suggested team games and demanded Felix be in her team, much to his relief. She gave him a warm smile when no one was looking almost as if saying ‘I’ve got your back.’ As expected, he was no good with the games; but it was far more enjoyable when playing with Marinette. At that point they’ve all been friends for only about a month and a half, and yet he could not even begin to imagine a world without Marinette.

It was no surprise when he realized he started developing feelings for the small, gentle girl who seemed as rooted to the ground as he was. His eyes would always follow her where she went, and his attention would hyperfocus on every word she spoke. Not even Claude’s teasing or Allan’s pointed stares could stop him from enjoying his time with Marinette. He especially appreciated the way Marinette would stutter and flush a beautiful shade of red whenever she was the subject of their endless teasing. It was an even more satisfying sight when she reacted that way to something he would say, however rare that would be. He wasn’t quite blessed in the social department, but he had his (admittedly few) moments.

It was two months in when Marinette first met with one Pauline Lyre, a petite red-head with jet black crow wings. Crows were hated just as much as Ravens were, any of the black winged birds suffered this fate really; black wings meant misfortune, so of course they would be hated. Most black-winged birds kept their wings hidden and painfully constrained behind their back, especially after the mass-genocide that happened decades ago. Black birds were rare now, and the stigma never really left. At least there was a law against killing black birds now, though the racism was still quite apparent. 

Meanwhile white birds, like doves, were considered angelic. White swans were considered to be the purest of them all having so many positive symbols, such as love or creativity. The white birds were almost revered as gods; the whiter your wings the purer your soul. Of course those were simple misconceptions equal to black wings, especially since many corrupt rulers had been white birds. 

Felix observed as Marinette visibly tensed at the sight of Pauline. The young crow was talking to one of her friends with a bright smile on her face. Felix’s brows furrowed, feeling concern for their friendship for the first time since its beginning. Was Marinette perhaps one of the individuals who believed in the slander against wings? What worried him was that if she was, he didn’t want to let go of her. Their friendship would undoubtedly become a bit toxic were she to ever see his wings, but she was too good to simply let go. Then again, why would she bind her wings if they weren’t black? What if she simply didn’t have wings anymore? Though a crime, there have been those who suffered mutilation by the hands of hunters. He prayed that wasn’t the case.

His spiraling train of thought was broken when Marinette spoke softly. “Is she bullied?” Ah, this made far more sense. Marinette, ever the kind heart, was simply worried for someone’s well being. She did not hate those with black wings, and therefore would not hate Felix upon discovery. She simply was afraid for the individual in front of her.

“No. Bullying of any kind is not tolerated in this school.” Felix answered smoothly. 

“But her wings are black.” She looked pale now and her breath was coming in at an uneven pace. Felix couldn’t help but feel worried for her, not quite understanding where she was coming from. He himself had bad experiences because of his wings, but nothing traumatic. Then again, he came from old money; his life was simplified greatly by his family’s wealth. Marinette had no such a fortune.

“Does that matter?” Allegra asked with a raised brow. She had picked up on Marinette’s distress, wondering where it was coming from.

“No. It shouldn’t.” Marinette answered slowly, looking away from Pauline and at the floor in front of her. “But it did.” It was a small whisper, but all four of them heard. Before they could say anything, Marinette smiled at them. “You guys still wanna come over today?” Felix could tell her smile was forced, especially considering how she looked like she wanted to cry. He couldn’t help but wonder just where her mind took her, and who had hurt her. Felix was a pacifist, so he wouldn’t quite go out of his way to get vengeance, but it would be nice to know who he’d keep Marinette from having to see. He’d protect her as best he could, even if that was all he could offer.

“Yeah, of course Minette.” Allen nodded, deciding to let her change the subject. They only knew her for two months, maybe she wasn’t ready to talk to them about this stuff yet. The three of them knew they would be there for her whenever she needed them to, especially considering she’s helped them all so much already, and they would patiently wait for that time to come. They just hoped it would come. Marinette seemed to be someone who kept things to herself, not quite the healthiest of coping mechanisms.

“I have a drama club meeting… but as soon as I’m out I’ll come over. Meet you there?” Claude asked with a smile, sending a meaningful glare at Felix when Marinette wasn’t looking. 

“Yeah, sure! I’ll save you some macarons.” She smiled back cheerfully. 

“Allen and I have to help the music club with a score. We’ll come by later though! Is that okay?” Allegra added. Marinette nodded with a bright smile, any trace of trauma long gone. Felix was always impressed with her ability to bounce back. Soon, the exuberant trio each left to do their own after school activities and only Felix and Marinette were left.

Felix turned to Marinette and smiled softly at her. “Shall we?” Felix didn’t smile often, he was far too reserved and used to simply closing himself off. When Claude demanded that they be friends, he didn’t know how to react. He was used to being alone by that point, but Claude wouldn’t take no for an answer. Since then he’s started to smile more often, even if it was still a rare sight. With Marinette, he found it even easier to smile.

“Sure!” Marinette beamed, bumping her shoulder onto his. Small, barely there physical contact. Felix found he didn’t mind it when Marinette did that to him. The two began their walk together, heading over to Marinette’s bakery. They’ve done this walk several times now, since everyone absolutely loved hanging out with Marinette and her house was at the perfect spot. Claude, Allen and Allegra all had after school activities, so Felix and Marinette often walked alone. Occasionally the other three would join them if they didn’t have anything that day, but it didn’t happen often. 

It was because of these walks that Felix and Marinette had grown close. At first, it was an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say without the other three around, but then Marinette started talking. He didn’t remember what she even talked about, but he remembered how she took the effort to try and make him feel comfortable around her. Eventually, they fell into an easy rhythm where Marinette would mostly babble about what was on her mind and Felix would diligently listen. He was more of a quiet person so he preferred not having to talk much, but whenever he did have anything to say Marinette would listen quietly with an encouraging smile. 

When Felix was having a particular bad day, Marinette spoke softly and calmly instead of her usual bubbly and energetic. When they first started walking she asked him what was bothering him and when he didn’t answer she moved on. Felix doesn’t even know what she was saying, but her voice was soothing and encouraging. Eventually, Felix admitted that his mother was coming back from her business trip. He’d long since abandoned the hope that she would stay for longer than two or three days, but it was still painful how she would practically ignore him. At first he had thought she hated him because of the color of his wings, it was only later on that he realized she would have ignored him either way. It was far too late when he had realized this, having long since been used to binding his wings.

He never expected Marinette to gently take his hand in hers, offering a loose squeeze. If he wanted to, he could easily let go of her hand. He almost did, but then he looked at her eyes. The gesture wasn’t romantic, as he had initially suspected, it was a show of support and an attempt to comfort. He had fallen for her even more then.

Now, their walk was silent. Marinette was far too deep in her head to talk and, with the barely-there frown she was sporting, it wasn’t hard to figure out the reason why she was so quiet. Felix took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He was the worst option to give comfort, being completely socially inept, but he would try. “Are you…” He stopped himself with a frown. Of course Marinette wasn’t okay, what an idiotic question. “What’s…” What’s wrong? That sounded insensitive. He simply couldn’t ask that. He sighed before settling with “do you wish to talk about it?” He cringed, not liking how that sounded either. He had to say something, and hopefully Marinette would understand that he simply wasn’t any good at comforting others.

He turned his head to face her and noticed how she was looking at him with fond eyes and a gentle smile. Any worry he felt washed away by that smile. It was impressive how good she was at comforting others, even when it was she herself who needed the comfort. She turned her head to look back in front of her, and her smile left briefly. She was still silent but it looked like she was thinking of what to say, so Felix patiently waited for her to speak.

“There’s a reason I transferred over.” Marinette eventually admitted. “I’ve bound my wings ever since they started to grow out in third grade; they’ve brought me nothing but misfortune. Kids began to treat me differently when they realized what kind of wings I had. So I bound them and transferred out. When I started at  Collège Françoise Dupont nobody really cared or thought much of it. I quickly made friends with most of my classmates, and I cared for them. I knew they were curious about my wings, after all who wouldn’t be? But it never caused me any issue… not until Lila came.” Felix noticed that she had begun to shake. With a deep breath, he willed himself to reach out to her and grab her hand similarly to how she had grabbed his. 

It seemed like she appreciated the gesture. With a light squeeze she found courage to keep talking. “She is a liar who kept making promises she couldn’t ever hope to keep. I tried calling her out, telling my friends that they shouldn’t believe the things she says and miss out on so many opportunities because of it… but they wouldn’t believe me. Her lies were just too pretty and believable. Then she started to lie about me, telling me how I was bullying her and how I threatened her when she was the one who threatened me. I was blamed for every incident, big or small.” Marinette closed her eyes, remembering the many miserable days she spent trying to get back to her classmate’s good graces. 

“Then she said my wings were black.” Her words almost felt like the blade of a guillotine, said with such cruel finality that it wasn’t difficult to imagine what might have happened to her. “I never quite liked the color of my wings. I hated how it influenced what people might think of me. In fact, it took me quite some time to learn not to hate myself for being born with them.” She admitted bitterly. “My friends became my tormentors, bullying me and saying that I deserved it because of how awful a person I am; because of how black my wings were. They never even saw my wings.” 

“Never be ashamed of the wings you have.” Felix said softly. It was a lesson he had learned thanks to his friends, and one he hoped Marinette would pick up as well. “Any symbolism behind wings are just the mythos of men who wanted a reason to hate and segregate.” 

“You still bind your wings.” Marinette countered, but there was no malice in her words so Felix wasn’t offended. 

“Now it is mostly of habit.” He admitted. “I have full confidence that if I were to unbind them, none of the people who matter in my life would care. If anything, I’m sure they’d just pester me to fly with them.”

“That sounds like something Claude would do.” Marinette giggled, swinging their joint hands slightly. There was also more perk to her step, so Felix had a feeling he did something right.

“I’m sure they wouldn’t care for your wing color either.” Felix added, noticing how she deflated if only slightly. Merde. “Your friends who left you were in the wrong. They were not true friends if they treated you so harshly, though I must thank them.” Marinette flinched, but Felix was undeterred. “If it wasn’t for their mistreatment, you would never have transferred. I would never have met you.” Marinette’s eyes widened, and she looked at him so openly. He could easily lose himself in her beautiful blue eyes. “Though I hate that you had to suffer through that, I’m very thankful that you became an important part of my life.” 

She blushed fiercely. “I- you- important too.” She stuttered, and Felix found that to be incredibly adorable. He squeezed her hand, hoping the gesture would convey any sentiment that he did not know how to say. She squeezed back, and they continued on with their walk both feeling lighter. 

The next day, as Felix readied himself for school he eyed the usual wraps he would use to bind his wings. He thought back to his conversation with Marinette and decided that perhaps it was time for a change. He reached his school at the usual time, ignoring how everyone was staring at him. He didn’t care for their opinions, though he didn’t see any malice on their faces either; they were probably just surprised with his change. 

“Does this mean you’re going to start flying with us?” Claude said cheerfully. Felix turned his head to look at his friends. It was only Claude and Allegra there now, Marinette and Allen had yet to show up. Both of them were sporting wild grins, clearly happy to see Felix letting his wings go.

“And leave Marinette to walk alone? Certainly not.” He huffed out, pointedly ignoring Claude’s smug grin and Allegra’s knowing stare. “I just felt like a change of pace.” 

“Oh no, he’s even hotter.” A familiar voice spoke behind him, soon after another voice started laughing loudly. “I said that out loud didn’t I?” Marinette groaned, covering her bright red face with both her hands. Felix blinked, looking at her and feeling his own face redden.

“You did Marigold, you did.” Allen said in between laughs.

“What about me Marinette! Don’t you think I look hot too?” Claudie whined, though it was quite obvious that he was teasing her. Felix rolled his eyes and made his way to stand by Marinette.

“For what it’s worth,” he mumbled, “I think you’re quite beautiful yourself.” Marinette lowered her hands and openly stared at him as if he had grown a second head. He briefly wondered if maybe he should have just kept quiet.

“Oh my God, you can’t just say that!” She didn’t screech, but it was a near thing. She was blushing madly, but quickly hid her head against Felix’s arm with another groan. Felix found he didn’t mind it that much, he could only smile.

“Get a room you two.” Allegra winked and Felix swore his own blush couldn’t get any redder. 

It took about three hours before Felix found the courage to ask her out. It took less than a second for Marinette to say yes.

Three more blissful months passed and the two of them were slowly falling in love, and it felt marvelous. Felix no longer bound his wings, feeling more comfortable and confident with them out. It also helped that he enjoyed wrapping his raven black wing around Marinette. Unfortunately, Marinette had yet to reveal her wings to any of her friends. None of them were offended by this, as it was clearly something Marinette still wasn’t comfortable with herself. They had assured her that they didn’t care about whether or not she was black bird or any other kind of bird, and that they would wait for her no matter how long it took. Felix still walked with her, though whenever she wasn’t around Claude would make him fly with them; though it didn’t take much convincing on his part.

Marinette seemed happier, too. She had brought them so many macarons, and made them so many outfits. It’s how she showed affection to her friends, she admitted. Felix was only slightly smug that he was the one who received most items of clothing; all of which fit with his more professional aesthetic. He noticed that sometimes Marinette made herself clothes that matched with the ones she made for him; he never mentioned it, but he thought it was absolutely adorable of her. He certainly couldn’t stop blushing after his discovery.

One day, Marinette seemed a bit jittery. It was normal for her to be nervous or even anxious, being so overwhelmed with assignments, commissions and her shifts in the bakery, but it was a bit too much jitter. It seemed like something else was bothering her, but none of her four other friends could really tell what was wrong. It didn’t seem like it was something bad, but they all decided to stick with her for the rest of the day. Claude insisted he wasn’t needed for rehearsals that day, and both Allegra and Allen assured that they could simply compose music tomorrow. 

So the five of them walked together, cracking jokes and teasing each other playfully. Marinette was smiling brightly, feeling nothing but love for her friends. She was grateful they stuck with her without her asking them too, and took time to comfort her. She loved them, and she trusted them. In fact, she decided that today she’d trust them completely. The entire day she’d been wrap-less, meaning she could bring out her wings whenever she wanted. They were still pressed almost painfully tight against her back, but she was talking herself into letting them flow free. When they got to the bakery, she told herself, that’s when she’d let them see her wings. 

That was the plan, at least up until she heard a couple of familiar voices. She nearly froze, but refused to stop walking. She drew comfort from Felix’s wings wrapped around her and his hand holding hers. Surely they didn’t see her. Felix raised a brow at her, but she just offered a smile and shook her head.

“Is that Marinette?” Oh, they did see her. Felix frowned when he saw how Marinette wilted. He looked at his three friends, noticing they also saw her reaction. “Didn’t think I’d ever have to see you again.” The girl, a sparrow with brown hair, sneered. Felix immediately bristled, using the wing around Marinette to pull her closer. 

“Hey Alya.” Marinette offered, and her friends all noticed how tired she sounded. They’ve only ever known Marinette to be jovial and bright, the way she looked now was alarming.

“Let’s just go.” Allen offered, wings twitching in either nervousness or anger; Felix couldn’t tell. Allegra nodded and put herself beside Marinette, grabbing her free hand. They started to move on, but a new voice caused them to stop again.

“Oh my God, Marinette! I was SO worried about you!” Another girl joined in, this one was a heron. Her voice felt forced, and the glare she gave Marinette made her intentions obvious. She was not Marinette’s friends, and Felix was willing to bet she was someone who had tormented her instead. He was tempted to reconsider his stance on violence.

“Come on Lila, there’s no need to be worried about someone like her. Can’t believe you just ditched us girl.” Alya looked from Marinette to the people surrounding her, and then her eyes landed on Felix. She smiled cruelly. “Of course you’d surround yourself with other black birds. No one else would want to be with you, huh?” 

Felix’s expression darkened, and he saw the murderous glare Claude was giving the girl. Allen and Allegra were no different, and Marinette bristled. “How dare you?” Claude seethed.

“How dare I what? Marinette has been nothing but a bully to Lila. She’s not a good person, you shouldn’t waste your time with a crow who’s nothing but a monster.” Alya looked at them as if she were giving out good advice. Allegra scoffed.

“Mari’s been nothing but kind to us. I think I trust her more than I would ever trust you. Come on guys, she’s not worth wasting our time.” She threw Alya’s words back at her with a vengeance. 

By then, the group had drawn in a crowd; most of them were  Collège Françoise Dupont students given the fact that they recognized Marinette. Some of them were surprised, some were mad, and a few looked guilty. 

“Seriously, Alya? Can’t you stop causing a scene wherever you go? I don’t even think Marinette even wanted to talk to you.” A new voice belonging to a hawk spoke. The girl had long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and blue eyes that were looking at Marinette almost pleadingly. Beside her was another blond, this one was a male swallow. He was also looking at Marinette with his green eyes. Both of them seemed guilty; wanting to apologize but not quite sure how.

“Like you’re any better Chloe.” A pink haired falcon retorted. Chloe flinched, but otherwise didn’t change her stance.

“We’re leaving.” Felix muttered, tightening his hold on Marinette. They should have left a while ago, but Marinette’s class kept interrupting them. Now he refused to let that happen. 

“Black birds really do run away when they can’t get what they want, huh?” Felix easily ignored Lila’s comment, but he noticed Marinette was shaking. He was about to comfort her when stepped out of his hold and stomped over to Lila.

“Shut up!” Marinette hissed, surprising everyone around her with her hostility. “You don’t get to talk to him like that, you lying jerk! Can’t you just leave me and my friends alone for once in your miserable life? You already won, Lila. You took everyone away from me and you got me to transfer out. Do you seriously have to keep on this pointless battle between us when I’ve already left?” She sounded so tired, but also confident. She looked around her at the people she used to consider friends. “You, all of you, have disappointed me so badly. I can’t believe you’d rather judge someone for the color of their wing instead of opening your eyes and looking for the truth of a situation.” 

“Aw, defending your fellow blackbird? How cute.” Lila sneered back, interrupting Marinette. She grinned and leaned into Marinette’s person space before whispering: “a shame they never did quite kill off all the black birds back then, hm?” 

Marinette couldn’t take it anymore. She was happy, finally happy where she was. She refused to let Lila take this from her too, and she refused to let Lila insult Felix. She didn’t care anymore. She let her wings flare out in anger, a threatening gesture that promised a painful future. She ignored the gasps she heard around her, and focused her anger on Lila.

“Never say that about him ever again.” Her voice was icy cold, and everyone felt a chill from it. “And never talk to me again.” She turned around and marched back towards where her friends were waiting for her. Looking at them, she felt some of her nervous energy come back; but Felix held his hand out for her, a welcome back of sorts. Claude was smiling brightly at her, and she already knew what he was going to ask the moment they were away from this mess. Allegra offered her a smile before resuming her glare towards the offenders. Allen gave her an encouraging nod with a smile.

When Marinette returned to Felix’s side, she felt his wings surround her again and she couldn't be happier. It wasn’t quite the reveal she wanted, but she was relieved to see that nothing had changed.

“Your wings…” Alya spoke up once her shock left. “They’re not black.”

“Obviously not.” Claude snorted out before turning to his friend. “They’re still pretty though, Mari.” He winked at her and she felt herself giggle. 

“Lila said they were black.” Alya continued, as if she never heard what Claude said. “She said you were a crow.”

“Clearly, she lied.” Chloe answered this time. “No surprise there, the harlot doesn’t know how to tell the truth. It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” 

“You’re a white bird.” The blond boy with green eyes marveled, speaking up for the first time. Marinette nodded, feeling her large white wings twitch slightly with a familiar spike of anxiety. 

“A swan. You are a swan.” Lila muttered, her body slumped forward in defeat. It was a good look on her, Felix couldn’t help but think vindictively.

“Why didn’t you show us your wings, Marinette?” The pink haired girl from before asked, looking impossibly guilty now before glaring at Lila.

“Because I’d rather you hate me for having black wings, then pretend you love me and revere me for white ones.” With that she was done here, having nothing left to say to these people… except maybe. “Chloe, “she started, “you’re welcome to come by the bakery, if you’d like.” The girl in question perked up, a disbelieving and small smile on her face.

“Thank you, Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe said with a meaningful nod. She looked relieved and, not for the first time, Felix was bewildered by Marinette’s kind nature.

With that, Marinette looked at her friends and her boyfriend with a smile. “Let’s go?”

“Can we fly?” Claude asked excitedly, and Marinette couldn’t help but laugh. Of course he’d be excited, the last member of Claude’s flock now could fly with them. All of them were a bit excited, really, despite the series of events that got them there.

And so they flew, passed Marinette’s bakery and all throughout Paris. Everything felt right now, with the five of them together and Marinette couldn’t be happier.

Months passed and soon enough Chloe became their friend, and she even transferred over. Adrien, the sparrow, had also transferred over and gave Marinette an apology. They all became friends, even if it was a rocky friendship in the beginning. 

Years passed and Marinette became a successful designer, with Felix helping her run her business; the Penny to her Jagged, Marinette often joked. Claude’s acting career skyrocketed, and he could be seen in many of the most successful films. Allegra became a composer to many of said successful films. Allen joined a band with a blue songbird named Luka, and they were quite the duo. Chloe took over her father’s business, and Adrien often ended up modeling for Marinette. They still flew together whenever they could, hanging out with carefree smiles. 

It was another year before Felix proposed, nearly dying of suffocation when Marinette hugged him tightly. His smile didn’t leave him when she said yes and, as cliche as it may sound, he truly believed that the two of them lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> I just really love the idea of Felix and Marinette being cute together and also non-canon Felix is absolutely adorable.  
> (Though I'll admit I had a hard time with not writing him like I would Damian Wayne.)  
> I also really love wing fics... and then BOOM! This story came to fruition.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> If there was any confusion as to why Marinette bound her wings, here's an explanation:  
> When her wings first grew out the people around her started having expectations of her for being a Swan, the most prestigious of white birds. They also promised her they loved her, but never really did. They only cared about the color of her wings.  
> She decided to hide her wings since then, so everyone's interactions with her were honest.  
> As for Felix, he hid his wings because he thought his mom hated him for it.
> 
> Also, you guys have no idea how much i researched into birds. Like. Dear Lord.  
> Here's the website I mostly used if you're interested: https://www.richardalois.com/symbolism/bird-symbolism


End file.
